Religion: The Salvation Army

Simultaneously with the arrival of its English General upon this Continent, there was published last week the findings of an investigation into the Salvation Army. Reading this report and reviewing the life of his immediate family, General W. Bramwell Booth might have noted the following:

Origin. General Booth’s father, William, left the Methodist ministry in 1865 in order to succor the lost sheep of London’s East End. Thirteen years later, William and his wife Catherine* whipped their missions into a military organization. Their Army grew phenomenally as it advanced from post to post. The conquest of the U. S. dated from 1880.

Scope. Under the general direction of its London headquarters, the Army is fighting in 61 countries. Its personnel numbers nearly 85,000 officers and men, not including 28,150 brass bandsmen. The Army’s morale is fed by 80 periodicals in 35 languages; and its annual victories over Sin range from 225,000 to 275,000.† Its financial resources are not correspondingly great. The Eastern territorial division of the American Army, for example, lists 18 millions of assets against seven of liabilities; its headquarters building in the wholesale district of Manhattan represents 15 of the 18 millions of assets.

Trouble. The Army has advanced with remarkably little internal friction. It has not, however, been easy to conduct the American campaign from the London headquarters. In 1896, Bramwell Booth’s brother, Ballington, and his sister-in-law, Maud Ballington Booth, held sway on this Continent. They seceded, forming the Volunteers of America. Most of the Army officers, however, remained loyal to the London Commander-in-Chief, who promptly appointed his sister Evangeline to the difficult American command. Now Evangeline is a very great woman. She began her career by peddling copies of the War Cry and has done all the unpleasant jobs associated with slumming. She has even impersonated beggars and other wretches that she might the better understand them. She has been stoned and thrown into jail. She rides, swims, sings, piano-fortes. She does not dance, card-play, theatre or movie-go.

Evangeline became an American citizen and, during the War, an American heroine. The London dominance of brother Bramwell began sometime after to pinch. Rumors that General Bramwell would oust Commander Evangeline have been almost annual. The latest item of debate is an interpretation of a London rule which, some say, would prohibit Army officers from joining such “secret” societies as the Elks or Masons. Interviewed on the S. S. Homeric, General Booth declared there was no such rule. The trouble, it appears, lies deeper.

General Booth proceeded to Canada to conduct conferences at Toronto and Winnipeg. There he was congratulated on the completion of 50 years service, the marks of which he bears with dignity—snow-white hair and snow-white sideburns. He reported new advances of his Army into Brazil, Czcho-Slovakia, Hungary, East Africa, and expressed himself eminently pleased with Commander Evangeline’s conduct of the campaign in the U. S.

* Ever since Catherine’s day, women have had equal rights with men, although they draw $1 per week less pay. Thus, a male colonel —the highest rank—draws $29.50; a female colonel $28.50. But since both husband and wife may rise to colonelcies, the family income may conceivably total $58.

† Converts are usually persuaded to join some recognized Protestant church. Besides the Army’s fight against drink, its greatest success has probably been with unfortunate women. It reports annual reform of 7,399 women.